1. You don't actually have to "cup your hand around the phone" to make it fail. I've handed the phone off to somebody or switched hands (as another user mentioned) and dropped calls. It's ridiculous.
2. Why are you and 5 other guys on here trying to defend this phone?
I actually went out and purchased an AT&T Microcell to try and get rid of the problem, but if I don't sit right next to the Microcell... it drops the call in about a second or two. It's really not cool.
I'm glad it works for you. In fact, I would go as far as saying I'm jealous that it works for you, but it doesn't work for me and many others on here. So don't act like it's just a bunch of whiners trying to get attention. You have no idea who we are or what sort of problems we're having with the phone. What would I have to gain if I said the phone didn't work?
It's pretty cut and dry. Does the phone work the way it was designed to work? The answer is NO. The phone was not designed to have an additional END CALL button on the side of the phone.
I was determined to wait until the software update came out to see if they had a fix. I have been reading that the beta was not fixing it, so I had planned on returning the phone tomorrow. Not even 15 minutes after reading that, I read that Apple is supposed to make an announcement on Friday. I just want them to be up front.
Do I need to live with the phone in the state that it is in or are they going to fix the thing? If they aren't recalling it or fixing it, I'll simply return it and continue using my iPhone 3Gs. If they are honest, I'll have no problem buying the revised iPhone 4 or iPhone 5. If they are going to continue to lie to us, and make excuses, I'll take my business elsewhere. \
I think you have a well reasoned post here. Phones shouldn't have an "additional END CALL button" in such an easy to block place. The thing I don't get is that you went out and bought a microcell to fix the issue. My iphone 4 loses signal if I block the antenna as well. If you were going to spend money to remedy the issue why not just buy a case? I have had my iphones in a case since the 1st gen because I'm a clutz. I bought one of the bumpers with my iphone 4 and with the bumper case I don't see the issue. I actually like the looks of the bumper too. I understand that you shouldn't have to buy the case but if your going to buy a microcell I don't see why you wouldn't. My only beef with the bumper is the switch to turn off the ringer is a bit hard to access.
that's not going to happen. It'll kill the 3rd party case makers.
I can't see them giving away Bumpers, but I can see them offering a store credit. They did that with the original iPhone for $100 when they had no obligation to appease anyone. It was all "dramage" control.
Hopefully we'll get some real technical answers out of the press release.
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
I can't see them giving away Bumpers, but I can see them offering a store credit. They did that with the original iPhone for $100 when they had no obligation to appease anyone. It was all "dramage" control.
Hopefully we'll get some real technical answers out of the press release.
Yup, store credit is the only way to go! -There will be a legal challenge if the bumpers are given away free. The question are how much will the credit be and will this be enough. I suspect people will continue moaning.
As for the antenna issue - I'd like a detailed explanation of what's happening, and how many people they think are affected by it.
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
Yup, your screen name says it all... Recall? For what? Not going to happen...
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
I think you've just argued why Apple cannot do a full recall. If they do, they may as well leave the phone business. Fact of the matter though, it All the above ( bar google who only made 1 phone) have screwed up like this. But I guess their screw ups came before social medai - still Glass houses and stones etc.
In reality, you're just whining because the real world doesn't support your inane whining.
What if it can't be fixed to your satisfaction (it's pretty clear that NOTHING would satisfy most of the whiners)? Take the phone back and spare us your whining.
OK. Let's say you're right and Apple should have handled it better. So you're going to spend countless hours whining on AI because you don't like the way Apple handled it? Why not reserve your whining for real issues?
You're jinxed. The iPhone hates you. Just take yours back for a refund and spare us all the whining.
The iPhone doesn't make you happy, so why do you continue to spend so much energy whining about it?
I have noticed your whiny posts for weeks now on numerous threads. Your constant whining and badgering is getting really old now. Everyone here knows what you will say as soon as they see your username show up - same old whiny crap. Get something new to discuss and stop repeating yourself over and over. You never bring anything intelligent to add to the discussion, because you are so busy whining. Come back after you gather your thoughts, or not.
The issue is affecting very few people in the real world. This is issue is just trumped up by the press. That is the reason they are doing a press conference, because nobody who actually owns the phone cares -- just the press (and people misled by the press). This way the press can ask their questions. Whatever they do is essentially to appease the press and not the consumer. It will be interesting to see what they do. A product recall is extremely unlikely. I could see Apple saying that there is no problem, but offering free bumper cases (or something thinner so it doesn't disrupt the aesthetic) as a gesture to lay this completely to rest. This issue can be reproduced, but doesn't cause real world harm. Ask anyone with an iPhone 4 and they will tell you it has significantly better reception then their previous iPhone. I have no regrets with my iPhone 4.
For everyone comparing this to the Toyota recall, the government has been analyzing the "affected" cars computers and most of the time it was the drivers fault and not the cars. Certainly the recall is important because it is a safety concern, but for the iPhone there is no safety concern. Yet I still think this is more people trying to find something to criticize then a real problem. I suspect most complaints are coming from non-iPhone users. I have heard nothing about people returning their phone in droves even though there is no penalty to do so.
Consumer Reports is just egging Apple on to do this press conference. How can you say that it is hands down the best phone ever but not recommend it. Especially since those who have some sort of issue holding it properly could just spend an extra $15-$30 on a cover.
About time they came out and said *something* about this.
Honestly what they should probably say is something like
"The media is blowing things way out of proportion ignoring that all cell phones and services can and do suffer the trouble that has been blamed on a 'known tragic design error' that we are apparently believing our customers too stupid to notice. Even Consumer Reports included the caveat 'in areas with weak reception' suggesting that in fact the quality of service coverage could be the issue and not anything to do with the phone.
"Anyone that is not satisfied with the performance of their iphone on any level has 30 days from the time of purchase to return it with no penalty from Apple or ATT. Please do so. As for the media, please be fair, balanced and actually informed or Shut the F up. Apple is tried of being your tabloid trash hit fodder"
Cause that's basically the truth.
As for the bumpers. it probably won't happen. Because it's not a true solution. It works for some folks because their skin is more conductive than others. But it won't work for everyone because the issue has nothing to do with holding the phone or anything else. It's crap service in the area. No case can cover that. Using one would be like a band aid over a GSW to the gut.
I'm still waiting for ANY evidence indicating that any significant number of people have returned their iPhone.
I realize that you don't like the BMO survey. If you're accusing them of lying, you'd better notify the SEC. Clearly, you don't have any such evidence. In reality, you're just whining because the real world doesn't support your inane whining. But go ahead and produce evidence that people are returning the phone in significant quantities - if you can find any.
Exactly.
What if it can't be fixed to your satisfaction (it's pretty clear that NOTHING would satisfy most of the whiners)? Take the phone back and spare us your whining.
No one ever denied that a small number of phones have a problem - but with > 3 M sold, that's not surprising. Where's your evidence that the number of 'defective' phones is a significant percentage? Since the number of returns is so small, it doesn't look like the real world agrees with you.
OK. Let's say you're right and Apple should have handled it better. So you're going to spend countless hours whining on AI because you don't like the way Apple handled it? Why not reserve your whining for real issues?
You're jinxed. The iPhone hates you. Just take yours back for a refund and spare us all the whining.
No product will make everyone happy. The iPhone doesn't make you happy, so why do you continue to spend so much energy whining about it?
Geez, I didn't know I'd run into someone so quickly on this board who dismisses anyone who disagrees with him/her with "spare us all the whining".
Since when has reasonable discourse, debate, and the rationale presentation of reasonable arguments made you so uncomfortable as to dismiss a simple recourse laden with facts, not opinion, and made you label those who disagree with you as "whiners"?
As for your observation that there are no statistics to show a considerable problem, I would respectfully postulate that to return it under present circumstances is both cumbersome, inconvenient, and for many a bit premature. This does not diminish the numbers of folks having the real problem, and lots of purchasers are loathe to make any disparaging remarks against Apple, and remind me of the purchaser of a new, expensive car who is somewhat disatisfied, but is embarassed to admit same, and is not likely to complain about it at the next cocktail party. I would be willing to bet that, if Apple was to offer anyone who wanted an instantaneous swap with an iP4 that had the antenna fixed (coated, or whatever) that virtually all of the owners would be marching down to the Apple or ATT store for just such a swap, and you'd have your statistics of the real problem. Just because no one can accurately estimate the percentage of owners who have noticed the problem, under controlled and reasonably scientific analysis, does nothing to diminish the probability that the phenomenon is indeed real, affects virtually all owners (under the right circumstances) is non-trivial in many eyes, and does nothing to address the more important public relations issue of a rationale explanation and response from Apple.
oh goodness, not good for Apple. Honestly, I watch the news at night and hadn't seen much on it. Other than tech news on the internet, I wouldn't have known. The fact that it's made it to Letterman means that it's a bit more mainstream than I thought. Perhaps more people know about this than I imagined.
Believe me, this debacle is now much more public than people on here think it is. This is no longer chatter amongst the tech blogs and geek communities. When I walked through my company's cantine on Tuesday and saw laying on the table "Consumer Reports Slams New iPhone" plastered in big bold print across the front page of the Market Place section of USA Today news, I knew Apple could not side step the issue any longer. And now Apple has taken the uncharacteristic approach of issuing an unscheduled press conference. You can bet the news media will be running rampant with speculation. Should be interesting to watch AAPL in the coming days...
Before I had to really squeeze hard to get the results everyone else was having so i did not think it was that big of a deal, now after 4.1, I just hold it slightly and the bars drop like a rock!
Assuming that 4.1 is the referenced update, it might actually be doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing.
Apple reported that the algorithms they were using (which were apparently given to them by ATT) are not as accurate as they believed and thus were reporting false levels of signal strength. So sometimes it was showing 5 bars when it should have shown 3 etc.
But understand that those bars do NOT equate to reception. They are about distance to a usable tower. That tower that you are right under could be super congested and while you are getting 5 bars, you can't make a call or keep one connected. Or you could be on the edge with only 1 bar and no one is on that tower and your calls are perfect.
Regardless of what aPPLE says and does people will still moan & groan.
If you're unhappy with the IPHONE4 or ATT service give it back for a full refund. Why complain if you can get your money back. Remember nobody is forced to buy a product, and every product has PROS and CONS. So if you can live with the Cons because the PROS are so strong than good. Why moan & groan if you can get a refund.
Its hard to believe that people would keep any cellphone if they could not call from it. Which means that the majority of people are not having the problem.
But understand that those bars do NOT equate to reception. They are about distance to a usable tower. That tower that you are right under could be super congested and while you are getting 5 bars, you can't make a call or keep one connected. Or you could be on the edge with only 1 bar and no one is on that tower and your calls are perfect.
Exactly!
What people don't know is that for one reason or another, cupping the phone in the death grip seems to correlate to massive numbers of people trying to connect to your nearest cell phone tower.
Coupled with the error in the display of the number of bars, it makes it seem as if cupping the phone is actually causing the dropped call. In actuality, whenever you cup the phone, the cell phone tower gets crowded (after all, your carrier is AT&T).
This is why when the 4.1 update comes out, the bars will not drop as much anymore, but you will still drop calls. Didn't anyone find it suspicious that all these reports were coming from the US and not overseas? AT&T and the consumer are at fault here, not Apple.
Many a true word said there - certainly part of this backlash is because it's now the meme Apple have gotten too big for their boots. But lack of a strong challenger ... come on - Android based phones will outsell the iPhone this year. Indeed I'll bet Apple will at best be number 2 in the world wide smart phone market.
Frankly, I think this is a good lesson for Apple to learn. But how they solve it beats me.
I'd go as far as to say - no matter what they do they're going to be slammed. And the sniping will continue as the bloggers fresh from their success will continue to place Apple and their iPhone under more scrutiny than other phone manufacturers. Apple no matter what they do now will be the industry whipping boys for this season.
Sorry I should have been a bit more clear. I was referring to an internal challenger, someone with enough credibility and enough standing to put up a fight with the industrial design guys (Ive et al) without getting canned in the process.
On that note, I still view Android as a platform as opposed to product. Android comparisons in software, but quite a different comparison in terms of hardware, spec-wise and design-wise.
How much for a buy in? Put me down for a free bumper after a $29 rebate, (which the coupon won't work for some reason as a f@ck you from Steve). And, put me down for a free swap of a new iPhone with a complementary 6 month subscription to Mobile Me (provided you give them a credit card which will then be pre-authed for a full year).
So who is having the pool and who's collecting the spot money? I feel lucky.
How much for a buy in? Put me down for a free bumper after a $29 rebate, (which the coupon won't work for some reason as a f@ck you from Steve). And, put me down for a free swap of a new iPhone with a complementary 6 month subscription to Mobile Me (provided you give them a credit card which will then be pre-authed for a full year).
So who is having the pool and who's collecting the spot money? I feel lucky.
Does this mean that you have had trouble with the iPhone? (You might have said so elsewhere, sorry if I missed your post!)
Comments
1. You don't actually have to "cup your hand around the phone" to make it fail. I've handed the phone off to somebody or switched hands (as another user mentioned) and dropped calls. It's ridiculous.
2. Why are you and 5 other guys on here trying to defend this phone?
I actually went out and purchased an AT&T Microcell to try and get rid of the problem, but if I don't sit right next to the Microcell... it drops the call in about a second or two. It's really not cool.
I'm glad it works for you. In fact, I would go as far as saying I'm jealous that it works for you, but it doesn't work for me and many others on here. So don't act like it's just a bunch of whiners trying to get attention. You have no idea who we are or what sort of problems we're having with the phone. What would I have to gain if I said the phone didn't work?
It's pretty cut and dry. Does the phone work the way it was designed to work? The answer is NO. The phone was not designed to have an additional END CALL button on the side of the phone.
I was determined to wait until the software update came out to see if they had a fix. I have been reading that the beta was not fixing it, so I had planned on returning the phone tomorrow. Not even 15 minutes after reading that, I read that Apple is supposed to make an announcement on Friday. I just want them to be up front.
Do I need to live with the phone in the state that it is in or are they going to fix the thing? If they aren't recalling it or fixing it, I'll simply return it and continue using my iPhone 3Gs. If they are honest, I'll have no problem buying the revised iPhone 4 or iPhone 5. If they are going to continue to lie to us, and make excuses, I'll take my business elsewhere.
I think you have a well reasoned post here. Phones shouldn't have an "additional END CALL button" in such an easy to block place. The thing I don't get is that you went out and bought a microcell to fix the issue. My iphone 4 loses signal if I block the antenna as well. If you were going to spend money to remedy the issue why not just buy a case? I have had my iphones in a case since the 1st gen because I'm a clutz. I bought one of the bumpers with my iphone 4 and with the bumper case I don't see the issue. I actually like the looks of the bumper too. I understand that you shouldn't have to buy the case but if your going to buy a microcell I don't see why you wouldn't. My only beef with the bumper is the switch to turn off the ringer is a bit hard to access.
You can do the same thing to the 3Gs. If I hold mine in a "death grip" it loses bars as well.
Big deal!
that's not going to happen. It'll kill the 3rd party case makers.
I can't see them giving away Bumpers, but I can see them offering a store credit. They did that with the original iPhone for $100 when they had no obligation to appease anyone. It was all "dramage" control.
Hopefully we'll get some real technical answers out of the press release.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
I can't see them giving away Bumpers, but I can see them offering a store credit. They did that with the original iPhone for $100 when they had no obligation to appease anyone. It was all "dramage" control.
Hopefully we'll get some real technical answers out of the press release.
Yup, store credit is the only way to go! -There will be a legal challenge if the bumpers are given away free. The question are how much will the credit be and will this be enough. I suspect people will continue moaning.
As for the antenna issue - I'd like a detailed explanation of what's happening, and how many people they think are affected by it.
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
Nice try, thanks for playing.
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
Yup, your screen name says it all... Recall? For what? Not going to happen...
If Apple is actually calling a meeting with the press, then it's to initiate a full recall and try to put a good spin on it.
HTC, Google, HP, Microsoft (and probably Nokia too) will then sponsor $$$$ to highlight the event as reason why no one can trust Apple Inc anymore. They will attempt to claim that Apple is not as technically smart as they think they are. They will claim that Apple is all about outward design, and technically way over their heads. That their arrogance got in the way of resolving and testing their design before using their customers as guinea pigs.
Seeing this is like seeing the whole Toyota Prius recall happening all over again.
Yup, Apple certainly shot their own foot on this one. It's too bad too, because it's actually a great phone, and all this distracts from all the great things that come next.
I think you've just argued why Apple cannot do a full recall. If they do, they may as well leave the phone business. Fact of the matter though, it All the above ( bar google who only made 1 phone) have screwed up like this. But I guess their screw ups came before social medai - still Glass houses and stones etc.
In reality, you're just whining because the real world doesn't support your inane whining.
What if it can't be fixed to your satisfaction (it's pretty clear that NOTHING would satisfy most of the whiners)? Take the phone back and spare us your whining.
OK. Let's say you're right and Apple should have handled it better. So you're going to spend countless hours whining on AI because you don't like the way Apple handled it? Why not reserve your whining for real issues?
You're jinxed. The iPhone hates you. Just take yours back for a refund and spare us all the whining.
The iPhone doesn't make you happy, so why do you continue to spend so much energy whining about it?
I have noticed your whiny posts for weeks now on numerous threads. Your constant whining and badgering is getting really old now. Everyone here knows what you will say as soon as they see your username show up - same old whiny crap. Get something new to discuss and stop repeating yourself over and over. You never bring anything intelligent to add to the discussion, because you are so busy whining. Come back after you gather your thoughts, or not.
For everyone comparing this to the Toyota recall, the government has been analyzing the "affected" cars computers and most of the time it was the drivers fault and not the cars. Certainly the recall is important because it is a safety concern, but for the iPhone there is no safety concern. Yet I still think this is more people trying to find something to criticize then a real problem. I suspect most complaints are coming from non-iPhone users. I have heard nothing about people returning their phone in droves even though there is no penalty to do so.
Consumer Reports is just egging Apple on to do this press conference. How can you say that it is hands down the best phone ever but not recommend it. Especially since those who have some sort of issue holding it properly could just spend an extra $15-$30 on a cover.
About time they came out and said *something* about this.
Honestly what they should probably say is something like
"The media is blowing things way out of proportion ignoring that all cell phones and services can and do suffer the trouble that has been blamed on a 'known tragic design error' that we are apparently believing our customers too stupid to notice. Even Consumer Reports included the caveat 'in areas with weak reception' suggesting that in fact the quality of service coverage could be the issue and not anything to do with the phone.
"Anyone that is not satisfied with the performance of their iphone on any level has 30 days from the time of purchase to return it with no penalty from Apple or ATT. Please do so. As for the media, please be fair, balanced and actually informed or Shut the F up. Apple is tried of being your tabloid trash hit fodder"
Cause that's basically the truth.
As for the bumpers. it probably won't happen. Because it's not a true solution. It works for some folks because their skin is more conductive than others. But it won't work for everyone because the issue has nothing to do with holding the phone or anything else. It's crap service in the area. No case can cover that. Using one would be like a band aid over a GSW to the gut.
I'm still waiting for ANY evidence indicating that any significant number of people have returned their iPhone.
I realize that you don't like the BMO survey. If you're accusing them of lying, you'd better notify the SEC. Clearly, you don't have any such evidence. In reality, you're just whining because the real world doesn't support your inane whining. But go ahead and produce evidence that people are returning the phone in significant quantities - if you can find any.
Exactly.
What if it can't be fixed to your satisfaction (it's pretty clear that NOTHING would satisfy most of the whiners)? Take the phone back and spare us your whining.
No one ever denied that a small number of phones have a problem - but with > 3 M sold, that's not surprising. Where's your evidence that the number of 'defective' phones is a significant percentage? Since the number of returns is so small, it doesn't look like the real world agrees with you.
OK. Let's say you're right and Apple should have handled it better. So you're going to spend countless hours whining on AI because you don't like the way Apple handled it? Why not reserve your whining for real issues?
You're jinxed. The iPhone hates you. Just take yours back for a refund and spare us all the whining.
No product will make everyone happy. The iPhone doesn't make you happy, so why do you continue to spend so much energy whining about it?
Geez, I didn't know I'd run into someone so quickly on this board who dismisses anyone who disagrees with him/her with "spare us all the whining".
Since when has reasonable discourse, debate, and the rationale presentation of reasonable arguments made you so uncomfortable as to dismiss a simple recourse laden with facts, not opinion, and made you label those who disagree with you as "whiners"?
As for your observation that there are no statistics to show a considerable problem, I would respectfully postulate that to return it under present circumstances is both cumbersome, inconvenient, and for many a bit premature. This does not diminish the numbers of folks having the real problem, and lots of purchasers are loathe to make any disparaging remarks against Apple, and remind me of the purchaser of a new, expensive car who is somewhat disatisfied, but is embarassed to admit same, and is not likely to complain about it at the next cocktail party. I would be willing to bet that, if Apple was to offer anyone who wanted an instantaneous swap with an iP4 that had the antenna fixed (coated, or whatever) that virtually all of the owners would be marching down to the Apple or ATT store for just such a swap, and you'd have your statistics of the real problem. Just because no one can accurately estimate the percentage of owners who have noticed the problem, under controlled and reasonably scientific analysis, does nothing to diminish the probability that the phenomenon is indeed real, affects virtually all owners (under the right circumstances) is non-trivial in many eyes, and does nothing to address the more important public relations issue of a rationale explanation and response from Apple.
oh goodness, not good for Apple. Honestly, I watch the news at night and hadn't seen much on it. Other than tech news on the internet, I wouldn't have known. The fact that it's made it to Letterman means that it's a bit more mainstream than I thought. Perhaps more people know about this than I imagined.
Believe me, this debacle is now much more public than people on here think it is. This is no longer chatter amongst the tech blogs and geek communities. When I walked through my company's cantine on Tuesday and saw laying on the table "Consumer Reports Slams New iPhone" plastered in big bold print across the front page of the Market Place section of USA Today news, I knew Apple could not side step the issue any longer. And now Apple has taken the uncharacteristic approach of issuing an unscheduled press conference. You can bet the news media will be running rampant with speculation. Should be interesting to watch AAPL in the coming days...
Before I had to really squeeze hard to get the results everyone else was having so i did not think it was that big of a deal, now after 4.1, I just hold it slightly and the bars drop like a rock!
Assuming that 4.1 is the referenced update, it might actually be doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing.
Apple reported that the algorithms they were using (which were apparently given to them by ATT) are not as accurate as they believed and thus were reporting false levels of signal strength. So sometimes it was showing 5 bars when it should have shown 3 etc.
But understand that those bars do NOT equate to reception. They are about distance to a usable tower. That tower that you are right under could be super congested and while you are getting 5 bars, you can't make a call or keep one connected. Or you could be on the edge with only 1 bar and no one is on that tower and your calls are perfect.
If you're unhappy with the IPHONE4 or ATT service give it back for a full refund. Why complain if you can get your money back. Remember nobody is forced to buy a product, and every product has PROS and CONS. So if you can live with the Cons because the PROS are so strong than good. Why moan & groan if you can get a refund.
Its hard to believe that people would keep any cellphone if they could not call from it. Which means that the majority of people are not having the problem.
But understand that those bars do NOT equate to reception. They are about distance to a usable tower. That tower that you are right under could be super congested and while you are getting 5 bars, you can't make a call or keep one connected. Or you could be on the edge with only 1 bar and no one is on that tower and your calls are perfect.
Exactly!
What people don't know is that for one reason or another, cupping the phone in the death grip seems to correlate to massive numbers of people trying to connect to your nearest cell phone tower.
Coupled with the error in the display of the number of bars, it makes it seem as if cupping the phone is actually causing the dropped call. In actuality, whenever you cup the phone, the cell phone tower gets crowded (after all, your carrier is AT&T).
This is why when the 4.1 update comes out, the bars will not drop as much anymore, but you will still drop calls. Didn't anyone find it suspicious that all these reports were coming from the US and not overseas? AT&T and the consumer are at fault here, not Apple.
This whole thing is ridiculous! It's a non topic!
You can do the same thing to the 3Gs. If I hold mine in a "death grip" it loses bars as well.
That is true of many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones as well.
Many a true word said there - certainly part of this backlash is because it's now the meme Apple have gotten too big for their boots. But lack of a strong challenger ... come on - Android based phones will outsell the iPhone this year. Indeed I'll bet Apple will at best be number 2 in the world wide smart phone market.
Frankly, I think this is a good lesson for Apple to learn. But how they solve it beats me.
I'd go as far as to say - no matter what they do they're going to be slammed. And the sniping will continue as the bloggers fresh from their success will continue to place Apple and their iPhone under more scrutiny than other phone manufacturers. Apple no matter what they do now will be the industry whipping boys for this season.
Sorry I should have been a bit more clear. I was referring to an internal challenger, someone with enough credibility and enough standing to put up a fight with the industrial design guys (Ive et al) without getting canned in the process.
On that note, I still view Android as a platform as opposed to product. Android comparisons in software, but quite a different comparison in terms of hardware, spec-wise and design-wise.
So who is having the pool and who's collecting the spot money? I feel lucky.
How much for a buy in? Put me down for a free bumper after a $29 rebate, (which the coupon won't work for some reason as a f@ck you from Steve). And, put me down for a free swap of a new iPhone with a complementary 6 month subscription to Mobile Me (provided you give them a credit card which will then be pre-authed for a full year).
So who is having the pool and who's collecting the spot money? I feel lucky.
Does this mean that you have had trouble with the iPhone? (You might have said so elsewhere, sorry if I missed your post!)